


I've got Yours and You've got Mine

by glad_er



Category: The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-14
Updated: 2014-12-21
Packaged: 2018-02-21 04:23:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2454584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glad_er/pseuds/glad_er
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Minho and Newt, complete strangers, accidentally mix up their phones when they bump into each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Minho spent his entire life running. His parents said that he could run before he could walk. (Well, it was more of a waddle, really.) So, it was only natural that he was running when he crashed into someone on the sidewalk. Said person proceeded to fall backwards on his behind, with Minho landing right on top of him, his phone sliding across the concrete pavement.

“Sorry!” Minho yelped, scrambling to get of the poor boy he had “run down”.

He took a quick peek at the boy who lay on the pavement in front of him. The boy’s brown shoes had scuff marks, and his jeans and white hoodie were crumpled and dirty, all thanks to Minho. With his blond hair still slightly ruffled, the boy sat up, glancing around in despair. The files and papers he had had in his hands were scattered all over the sidewalk.

“Oh shuck, I wasn’t looking where I was going, so it was my fault,” the boy responded in an accent that was clearly not American, rubbing the back of his neck.

 _English_ , Minho mused. _English and extremely cute. Oh klunk._

“Could ya give me a hand?” The boy asked, gesturing to his leg. “It’s just that I’ve got this limp…”

Minho’s eyes widened slightly, before he grabbed the boy’s hand and pulled him up. When standing upright, they were about the same height, but the boy just seemed so much smaller and scrawnier than Minho. He suddenly felt a lot sorrier for him. Bumping… no, crashing into Minho must have felt like ramming straight into a brick wall. Minho felt the need to apologise another twenty times, which he quickly remedied by reaching to help the boy retrieve his papers. Noticing his phone was still on the ground, he bent down to pick it up as well, looking for scratches and cracks. The blond-haired boy mimicked his actions as he retrieved his own phone from the mess.

“Thanks, I owe ya one,” the boy thanked him gratefully.

“You’re welcome, and I’d love to stay and help but I’ve got to—” Minho halted abruptly mid-sentence, an idea immediately forming in his mind.

“Yes?”

“—leave but I’ll miss you,” he finished.

The English boy appeared astonished, and started stammering. Minho was instantly ready with his “ _that was a joke please don’t take it seriously I wasn’t actually hitting on you_ ” speech, when his thoughts were interrupted.

“Did ya just sing me a bloody High School Musical song?” The blond-haired boy inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Minho’s smile broadened into a grin. A cute English boy who knew High School Musical songs. _Jackpot_.

Wait… school. Shuck! He was late for a school meeting, and now he had five minutes to get to a place that was ten minutes away. Gally was going to kill him.

“SorrycuteboyI'vegottagobye!” Minho half-yelled, already making a mad dash for the school, regretfully leaving the boy standing there looking absolutely confused.

Although he arrived five minutes late, his mind kept drifting back to his collision with the amazingly adorable British boy. During the meeting, no matter how many times he was brought out of his reverie by Gally calling his name, all he could think about was, _did I really call him cute?_

When the meeting finally ended, he yanked out his phone to tell his friends all about the encounter, before realising that the phone’s wallpaper was completely different from his own. Right, okay, not his phone. A wave of panic swept through him as he struggled to remember when he could have accidentally mistaken someone else’s phone as his.

While Minho was contemplating how to get his phone back from what could very well be the other end of the Earth, the screen lit up again, showing that he had a new message.

\----------

From: Unknown Number

Hi, this is the shuck you accidentally bumped into earlier, and uh, I think you’ve got my phone and I’ve got yours, so I was wondering if I could get it back from you as soon as possible? I haven’t peeked at anything, don’t worry, and please don’t look at anything in my phone either. Thanks!

\----------

Minho let out a sigh of relief, thankful that the cute boy with his phone was both polite and smart. A cute boy, he realised, that he now had the phone number of (seeing as it was his phone, after all) and a reason to keep contacting him. A smile slowly formed on his face as he typed out a reply.

\----------

From: Unknown Number

sure, no prob. sorry i left, but i had to hurry for a thing. btw im putting you in my contacts as high school musical boy

\----------

From: High School Musical Boy

Hey, you were the one that sang to me, you shank! If anyone around here is High School Musical Boy, it’s you. Besides, I have a name, you know. It’s Newt. Plus, why are you putting your own phone number under my name, shuck-face?? That’s stupid.

\----------

From: Shuck-face

shut up.

\----------

Minho put away the phone before starting on the run back to his dorm. The run which would allow him plenty of time to think about what had just happened. Newt. Well, now he had a name to match to that amazingly attractive face, and what an odd name it was. Newt. He enjoyed texting him more than he cared to admit. It occurred to him that a stranger holding on to his phone wasn’t necessarily the best course of action, but if that stranger was Newt… well, he could make do without his phone for a few days. He could easily sacrifice contact with his other friends for the sake of talking to Newt. Why not, right?

Arriving back at his dorm room, he fished out the phone from his pocket, only to find a notification on the phone’s lock screen. _One new text message_ , the words on the screen seemed to jump out at him, and he found himself eagerly sliding his finger across the screen in order to read it.

\----------

From: Newt

Make me.

\----------

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey!! i don't really know whether it's because i didn't write anything here when i posted it or whether it got deleted when i updated the chapter to correct my hsm reference (lmao im a fake fan) but there wasn't a note so i'm writing it now!! thank you so much for all the support this fic has gotten and thank you for taking the time to read it!! please kudos or comment if you like it, thanks again guys!!!!


	2. Chapter 2

Disaster struck when Minho found out that getting his phone back was going to be more difficult than he thought. A day after their first conversation, a milestone Minho would scribble down in his calendar, he heard a loud buzz coming from his bag, which could only mean one thing. He had gotten a text from Newt. Thankfully, no one except his roommate was there to witness the embarrassing sprint from his bed to his bag on the other side of the room.

“Slim it, Minho,” his roommate called out, setting aside the book he had been reading, “you look like an excited puppy that’s way too eager to go on a walk.”

“It’s just a text, Thomas,” Minho shot back with a grin. “Mind your own shucking business.”

“A text from a cute girl?” Thomas inquired.

Minho’s heart palpitated as he answered with well-practised confidence. “Uh, no, a cute guy, actually.”

Time seemed to stop as he waited for his best friend say something, _anything_. His heart skipped a beat while waiting for Thomas’ reply, which came soon after.

“Oh, cool,” his roommate responded, before settling back onto his bed to finish his book.

Minho couldn’t quite believe his luck. Thomas had brushed it off as if Minho had just told him his favourite colour. _Oh thank the heavens_ , he thought, breathing a sigh of relief. _Someone sensible._ Glancing back at the phone, he furrowed his eyebrows.

\----------

From: Newt

OH NO

\----------

From: Shuck-face

what’s wrong???

\----------

From: Newt

I, uh, just remembered that I’m kind of… not in the same area anymore… so I can’t pass you your phone right now.

\----------

From: Shuck-face

what do you mean same area

\----------

From: Newt

Don’t get mad but I’m kind of far away right now. As in, across the country.

\----------

From: Shuck-face

why??? the hell?????

\----------

From: Newt

My grandma’s really ill right now, so I’m visiting home to take care of her. I don’t think I’ll be back for a couple of weeks at least, or a month.

\----------

From: Shuck-face

oh. sorry. how about we just keep in touch and send each other the texts we get? it’ll be easier

\----------

From: Newt

Sure thing.

\----------

It certainly was _not_ going to be easier, and Minho knew it. Luckily, Newt was oblivious enough not to notice that they were obviously doing this the more difficult and roundabout way. They could easily have texted all their friends to contact them through each other’s numbers, which would be easier in the long run, especially since Newt was all the way on the other side of the country.

But Minho wasn’t complaining.

He just hoped Newt’s phone had unlimited texting too, because there was no way he was going to pay _that_ phone bill.

Those thoughts immediately flew out the window when the phone buzzed, signalling the arrival of a new text message.

\----------

From: Newt

I still don’t know your name, you know.

\----------

From: Shuck-face

gotta keep some of the mystery alive, babe

\----------

From: Newt

Did you know your contact name is still Shuck-face on this phone?

\----------

From: Shuck-face

ok fine the name’s minho you shank

\----------

From: Newt

Hi, Minho You Shank.

\----------

From: Minho

dON’T YOU DARE

\----------

From: Newt

I’m Dad.

\----------

 From: Minho

i can’t believe you just did that oh my god you just dad-joked me

\----------

From: Newt

That isn’t really a proper term. But yes. Yes, I did.

\----------

From: Minho

shut up.

\----------

While waiting for a reply, Minho’s mind drifted back to the first day, when he had typed those exact same words to Newt. It had been a day, and Minho had already found himself chatting to Newt like they had been best friends for years. Thinking about that put a smile on Minho’s face. Looking down, he saw the message he knew would already be there.

\----------

From: Newt

Make me.

\----------

 _That sly shank_ , Minho thought. He wouldn’t have pegged him as the flirty type, but Minho seemed to be mistaken, and that just made him even more eager to get to know the boy who was currently holding onto his phone.

 _Bzz!_ The phone in Minho’s hand vibrated. His heart leapt as his eyes flickered down, looking forward to seeing the words “From: Newt”. His eyebrows furrowed when he discovered that the message was _not_ from Newt, but was one intended _for_ him instead.

\----------

From: Alby

Hey, Newt. Want to meet up at the Homestead for a cup of coffee?

\----------

Minho’s heart fell. A boyfriend. Oh klunk. He never went after people who were already in relationships, and he wasn’t about to start now. This meant that flirting with Newt was completely off limits. He reluctantly relayed the message to Newt, disappointed to find that the extremely hot boy was already attached.

\----------

From: Minho

hey, your boyfriend alby wants to grab a cup of coffee at the homestead what do I tell him

\----------

The reply came back almost instantly.

\----------

From: Newt

First of all, you can put a space between the boy and the friend there. He’s just a childhood friend from my hometown. Don’t get jealous, babe. Second, tell him I’ll meet him there in ten.

\----------

Minho let out the breath he hadn’t realised that he had been holding, before typing a response.

\----------

From: Minho

am i to assume that the lovely high school musical charmer is sexy free and single and ready to mingle??

\----------

From: Newt

Yes, I am, and hey, Minho?

\----------

From: Minho

yeah?

\----------

From: Newt

Shut up.

\----------

Minho’s face broke into a wide grin. Of course he wasn’t relieved that Newt was single. Not at all.

“Minho, stop grinning at your phone. You look positively ridiculous.” Thomas called out from across the room.

Minho looked up at his roommate and best friend, having forgotten for a moment that he wasn’t the only one in the room.

“Aw, babe, don’t worry. I only have eyes for you,” Minho replied cheekily, watching Thomas’ face flush bright red as he muttered curse words under his breath.

“Stick to flirting with your phone friend, you shank,” Thomas shot back, before turning back to his book, which he now seemed to find extremely interesting.

Returning to his phone, Minho typed back a reply with a smile plastered on his face.

\----------

From: Minho

make me.

\----------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! sorry it's been ages since the first chapter but i hope you liked the second one! thank you so much for the wonderful comments i received from the first chapter, and i'd really appreciate if you did the same for this chapter as well!! also since this is a modern au i decided to include a bit of heteronormativity from thomas, since we don't yet live in a perfect world without that shit around


	3. Chapter 3

Newt didn’t expect so much flirting. Honestly, he’d never really flirted with anyone before. Until Minho. It was weird, that they were so comfortable with each other so quickly. Having one’s phone in the hands of a stranger was supposed to make one worry. What if he had made off with the phone? Sold it? Dumped it? There were endless possibilities, but somehow, Newt was completely okay with leaving his phone with Minho. He trusted him.

And, of course, there was the added bonus of Minho being totally _gorgeous_.

“—ewt! Hey, Newt!” Newt heard a voice call faintly in the distance.

Fingers snapped two inches from his face, startling Newt and bringing him back from his reverie. Looking around in alarm, his gaze landed on a particular figure on his left.

“Alby!” Newt nearly shouted, launching himself at his best friend, wrapping his arms around the disgruntled boy. “Haven’t seen ya in ages, ya shank!”

Alby looked slightly pleased, resisting just a little before returning the hug. Seeing Newt brought out his soft side.

Newt slung an arm around his best friend’s shoulder, before they both headed off towards Homestead, the local coffee shop.

“So… how’s college?” Alby asked.

Newt tilted back his head and groaned, earning a laugh from Alby.

“Yeah, I could tell you were dead tired. Your typing looks like a piece of klunk,” Alby smirked.

Newt was confused for a minute, until he remembered that Minho, the human typing disaster, was the one with his phone.

“Nah, Alby, that’s not me,” Newt scoffed, coming to a stop outside the coffee shop.

Alby frowned as he yanked the heavy door open, immediately coming to the wrong conclusion. “If someone stole your phone…”

The blond-haired boy shook his head, explaining, “I bumped into some guy and we accidentally swapped phones, so I’ve got his and he’s got mine.” He paused for a moment, before asking the vital question. “Was it _that_ obvious?”

His best friend snorted, quickly finding an empty table before pulling out his phone to show him the reply.

\----------

From: Alby

Hey, Newt. Want to meet up at the Homestead for a cup of coffee?

\----------

From: Newt

yeah sure yo

\----------

Rolling his eyes, he turned back to Alby, who pocketed the phone, grinning from ear to ear.

Newt nudged him in the side, gesturing for him to share what he thought was so hilarious.

Raising an eyebrow, Alby side-eyed him. “He has got to be really hot for you guys to mix up your phones like that, Newt. Can’t fool me.”

Newt threw his hands up, signalling total defeat. “Ya got me, he’s burning like the sun. Name’s Minho. Now, are we going to order coffee, or sit here talking about boys until Nick decides to kick us out?”

After settling down with a couple of drinks, Alby tried to ask Newt more about this mysterious person, earning a “What is this, an interrogation?” and an eye roll, but he knew that he was dying to spill the beans. It took all of three sips of coffee before information started pouring out.

“—and the way he types is so stupid and he’s such a dork! How is it possible for someone to be this attractive and amazing and still flirt with _me_ —“

His best friend knew that Newt finding anyone attractive was pretty rare. Let alone one who reciprocated the thought. He wasn’t about to let this one go, whoever he was, even if that meant stepping out of his comfort zone. Phone guy, meet Newt’s new wingman. Well, he would do as much as he could before Newt realised it, of course.

Once Newt left the coffee shop to visit his grandmother, Alby slipped his phone out of his pocket to send a text to “Newt”.

\----------

From: Alby

Hey, Phone Guy. Minho. Whatever.

\----------

From: Newt

yes i do generally like being called three things at once

\----------

From: Alby

I’m a friend of Newt’s.

\----------

From: Newt

and?

\----------

From: Alby

You like him, yes?

\----------

From: Newt

uh

\----------

From: Newt

that’s classified information

\----------

From: Alby

Mmhmm.

\----------

From: Newt

why are you even asking this? is newt there

\----------

From: Alby

No. Now, let’s get down to the important part of the message.

\----------

From: Newt

there’s an important part??? DID SOMETHING HAPPEN TO NEWT

\----------

From: Alby

No.

\----------

From: Newt

oh. well ok then what’s the important part

\----------

From: Alby

Hurt him in any way, and I’ll hunt you down. Have a nice day.

\----------

From: Newt

wait hang on a minute what

\----------

Alby switched off his phone, feeling contented. The boy seemed alright, and if they liked each other, then Alby didn’t really need to be a wingman. All he needed to do was sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

\----------

On the other end of the line, Minho was scratching his head, eyebrows furrowed. Who was this childhood friend from Newt’s hometown? Why did he text him? Did Newt tell him about the phone situation? Was Newt talking about him?

Minho’s heart started to race at the thought of Newt thinking about him. Maybe the blond-haired boy in that dirty white hoodie, who occupied Minho’s thoughts, was thinking about him too.

\----------

When his mother called to tell him that his grandmother was ill, that was an understatement. A severe understatement.

“Stage _four_?” Newt exclaimed, eyes wide. He couldn’t believe this. His grandmother had stage four cancer. She was _dying_. The room seemed to spin, and he stumbled around, trying to find a chair, an armchair, _anything_.

He felt sick. Everything in the room seemed wrong. The walls were too beige, the floor was too flat, the sofa was too shaky. His grandmother had stage four cancer and all he could think about were the walls.

His family was scattered around the room, all appearing exhausted from the constant worrying. It was funny how his grandmother was the one who was dying, and yet his family members looked worse off than she was. Newt immediately felt sick to his stomach as he realised that he had just described the current situation as _funny_.

“Newt, dear, do you want to sit outside for a minute?” His mother asked, patting him on the shoulder.

Newt gave a brief nod before stumbling out of the room. Before he could pause to consider the reason (maybe it was because he felt like he needed a distraction, or maybe it was just out of habit), he had his phone in his hand, all ready to send a new text.

Alby? No. Alby wasn’t a man of many words, and what he needed at that moment was someone who could talk him out of remembering where he was.

\----------

From: Newt

Minho? Are you there?

\----------

Minho must have been looking at his phone, because the reply was instantaneous.

\----------

From: Minho

yeah u ok?

\----------

From: Newt

Tell me a story. A joke. Anything. Please.

\----------

From: Minho

sure thing kiddo. ok so once upon a time there were two guys who were trapped in a maze with a whole bunch of other guys and they were totally into each other i shit you not ok then so one day someone else arrived in that maze and their lives changed forever

\----------

Newt took one look at the message and breathed a sigh of relief, immediately feeling better. Talking to Minho was an escape he sorely needed. He focused on his phone once again, only to see the latest of many text messages.

\----------

From: Minho

oh yeah did i forget to mention they were totally into each other

\----------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi um so that was a weird ending (and i edited the joke out bc i know i get pissed when other fandom things get mixed into stories just for the sake of a reference so i changed it yup) and um when Alby texts Minho through Newt's phone, he still has the contact listed as Newt, that's why it says From: Newt, not From: Minho. aand last but not least tiny little mention of nick, the leader of the glade before alby for two years!! u go little guy  
> Other than that, hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'd really appreciate and love any reviews! Thank you so much!


	4. Chapter 4

“Wait wait wait, hang on, so you’re telling me that this guy that you’re so hung up on is a total _stranger_?” Thomas exclaimed, although whether in shock or exasperation, Minho had no clue.

“No, you complete utter pile of klunk,” Minho explained impatiently, “I’ve been texting him for ages and I’ve seen him in real life too.”

“Minho, you’ve met him for all of five minutes, and you’ve only been texting for three days! He’s hardly the love of your life.”

Minho’s eyes widened in amazement, glancing down at the phone, which now seemed to be a permanent fixture in his hand. Three days? It had seemed like a _lifetime_.

He quickly retorted wittily, “Aw, come on, Thomas, you’re just jealous that I have a hot boy’s number! Looking a little green with jealousy, _greenie_?”

Raising an eyebrow, Thomas asked quizzically, “If he has your phone, and you’re texting him, doesn’t that mean that you have your own phone number?” He paused for a moment, before adding with a cheeky grin, “That’s hardly one belonging to a hot boy.”

Feeling insulted, Minho launched a pillow in his direction, which Thomas failed to dodge. He, however, did not fail to retaliate. That almost brought about a pillow fight duel, if not for the timely interruption of the buzzing phone currently placed on Minho’s bed, signalling the arrival of a new text message.

\----------

From: Newt

Saw this and thought of you.

\----------

Attached to the text message was a photo of a High School Musical DVD and Newt’s gorgeous smile.

Unable to keep the grin off his face, he texted back immediately, ignoring Thomas’ wolf-whistles in the background.

\----------

From: Minho

are you having a hsm marathon without me how dare you

\----------

From: Newt

I’m watching it with my grandma. We used to watch it all the time when she babysat little me.

\----------

From: Minho

party grandma??? cool

\----------

From: Newt

If you can believe it, she used to sing along.

\----------

From: Minho

omg no way man you have the coolest grandma ever

\----------

From: Newt

Thanks?

\----------

From: Minho

i’m going to watch it on my laptop at the same time so we can marathon it together because there’s no way you’re watching this without me and i’m pretty sure i can get my roommate to watch it with me ooh this is gonna be good i can’t wait to see the expression on his face

\----------

Minho had a hard time explaining exactly why he was choosing to have a High School Musical marathon the night before one of his essay deadlines, but he managed to coerce Thomas into watching the first movie. And the second. And the third.

He had hardly spent any time looking at the computer screen, which was a first, but not a surprise, seeing as how he spent the entire time texting Newt about everything that was going on in the movie. Thomas had had to yank the phone out of his hands, insisting that Minho watch the movie and stop peeking at his phone every minute, waiting for a reply.

Once the phone vibrated again, he reached for the phone, ignoring Thomas’ protests.

\----------

From: Newt

Grandma says hi and to stop texting, and I quote, “that boyfriend of yours”. She made me type it.

\----------

From: Minho

woah tell your granny we’re sexting

\----------

From: Newt

MINHO STOP RIGHT THERE. SHE CAN SEE MY TEXTS, YOU BLOODY SHANK.

\----------

From: Minho

hi newt’s grandma!! nice to meet you and i hope you get better soon

\----------

From: Newt

Grandma says, “It’s nice to meet you too, but I’m afraid one simply does not ‘get better’ from stage four cancer.”

\----------

From: Minho

not with that attitude they don’t

\----------

From: Newt

You’re making a terrible first impression, but for some reason, Grandma can’t stop laughing.

\----------

“Am I the only one watching this stupid movie?” Thomas complained, throwing his hands up in the air.

Minho punched him in the arm.

\----------

From: Minho

sorry newt and newt’s grandma, my roommate is way more into these movies than i thought he’d be i’ll talk to you guys later yo

\----------

After the movie ended, Minho and Newt frantically texted each other about the graduation scene and how “Sharpay should definitely have gone to Juilliard”. The texts eventually devolved into simple sentences made by two very sleep-deprived boys.

\----------

From: Minho

dude u gotta go to sleep man my eyes are closing I know sleeping on the hospital couch is tough but it’s better than the floor

\----------

From: Newt

Okay, okay. I’ll talk to you in the morning. Night.

\----------

From: Minho

night babe

\----------

As the days passed, they continued to shoot texts back and forth, a pattern soon forming. Newt woke up early to text Minho, thanks to the time difference of three hours. In turn, Minho slept three hours later than he was supposed to. If he felt tired, he never said a word to Newt, who currently had far more on his plate than Minho did. Newt would text him at all sorts of weird hours, and most of the time, it was because his grandmother had taken a turn for the worse.

\----------

From: Newt

Grandma’s getting worse. She can hardly talk now.

\----------

From: Newt

Minho, I’m scared.

\----------

Those texts frightened Minho too. After getting to know a bit about Grandma Newt, he had discovered that she was, in fact, a pretty spectacular grandmother. News that she didn’t have much time left saddened Minho greatly. If it had that much of an effect on Minho, who had known Grandma Newt for a week, who knew what damage it did to Newt, who had known her his whole life.

Those were his precise thoughts when the phone screen lit up. Noticing it in the corner of his eye, he automatically reached for it.

However, to his surprise, when it was in his hand, it began to do something odd, and completely unusual.

Minho felt a certain state of alarm, and his heart rate accelerated. In the entire week that they had been in contact, this had never happened before.

His phone was ringing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys thank you all so much for the kudos and the comments! They actually fueled the writing of this chapter. By the way, if you didn't go back to the third chapter, I edited it a couple of days after I posted it so you might want to check that out if you haven't already done so! Sorry this took ages... I've got a lot of stuff to do and a couple of exams are coming up. But yup I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'd really appreciate kudos and comments!! Thank you all so much for reading this!


	5. Chapter 5

Why was Newt calling? Why _now_ , when it was close to 1a.m. in the morning?

Minho was stunned, but he didn’t hesitate. His thumb moved to the green phone sign, before firmly pressing down on the button and lifting the phone to his ear.

“Newt?”

All he heard was sobbing on the other end of the line.

“Newt? What’s wrong?” He asked urgently, before realising that “urgent” probably wasn’t the right way to handle the situation.

The boy on the other end, who now seemed even more fragile to Minho than he had the day they met, tried to stop the tears flowing down his cheeks. Attempting to form a coherent sentence, he took a deep, shaky breath.

“She’s gone,” he managed to utter, without a break in his voice.

He could hear a sharp intake of breath on the other end, which meant that Minho had understood. Now that he had started, he wasn’t sure that he could stop.

“She’s gone, Minho, she’s never coming back and _oh god I’m never going to see her again—_ ”

Minho could hear Newt stop abruptly, he could hear him trying to process the news, and his heart ached. It ached for the blond-haired stranger who was probably sitting in the corner of a room, crying his eyes out. It ached for the boy in the jeans and the white hooded sweatshirt who had stayed up for days on end, worrying. It ached because the boy he had grown fond of was _hurting_ , and Minho couldn’t do a thing to help.

He wanted so badly to reach through the phone to give him a massive hug, to stroke his hair and reassure him that everything was going to be okay.

Quick, sharp breaths alerted him to Newt hyperventilating.

“Newt, _Newt, breathe_ ,” he instructed, eyes full of worry.

He was grateful that although his eyes conveyed emotion, his voice did not betray him. It remained calm, allowing Minho to talk Newt through his panic attack.

“Minho,” a whisper came from the other end of the line.

“Yeah, shank?” Minho replied softly, breathing a sigh of relief once he realised Newt’s panic attack was over.

“Thanks. I’m sorry for the troub—”

“Hey,” Minho cut him off, “don’t apologise. You aren’t trouble, you know.”

“There’s a Taylor Swift reference in there somewhere,” Newt muttered, starting to feel immensely better.

Somehow, Minho always had that effect on him.

Said boy proceeded to chuckle at the remark, before saying fondly, “go get some rest, Newt.”

Minho could hear the frown in his voice when he replied, his voice breaking, “I-I can’t. Every time I close my eyes, I see her. Minho, she didn’t-she didn’t deserve it.”

More than anything, Minho wanted to be there, to comfort him. He couldn’t even begin to understand what Newt was going through.

“Grandma Newt was amazing, and I don’t know much, but I know enough about her to know that she’d want you to remember the times when you watched High School Musical together, not when she was lying in that bed,” he uttered gently, trying his best to tread lightly, in case he made Newt feel worse.

What was he supposed to say to make him feel better? Minho ran his hand through his hair, trying to think of a way to help.

Unbeknownst to Minho, Newt had already been feeling thousand times better, ever since Minho picked up his phone. Newt had no idea why, but talking to Minho just made him feel _safe_.

Realising that Minho hadn’t spoken for quite some time, and must be waiting for a response, he answered, “Thank you.”

After a little while, he decided to add on, “Minho.”

“Newt.” Came the reply.

Newt stayed silent, content to just listen to the sound of Minho breathing. He could tell that the boy on the other line was doing the same. It was odd, how he felt so much more at home with someone who was somewhat of a complete stranger. It was then that he decided to break the silence.

“Minho?”

“Yeah?”

“I could’ve called Alby.”

Minho frowned, not liking where this conversation was going.

“Do you want me to hang up so you can call him?” He asked in concern.

Maybe Alby was someone who could comfort Newt more than he could. After all, he was a thousand miles away.

“No!” Newt exclaimed, surprising Minho. “I mean, I could’ve called my sister or my mum or my dad or anyone else.”

“And?”

“And I called you.”

Minho faltered. He hadn’t thought of that. They had been communicating via their phones so much over the past few days that it had become almost automatic, to pick up his phone and expect the text to be from Newt.

Newt didn’t know where he was taking this conversation. Words were flying out of his mouth before he could think them through.

A door creaking open on Newt’s end stopped both boys’ thought processes. Minho could hear someone else’s voice in the background, calling for Newt to come outside.

The blond-haired boy said one last, brief “thank you” to Minho, before ending the call abruptly.

On the other end, Minho was wide awake, even though it was past midnight, as he contemplated what Newt had said.

 _And I called you._ Four words that proceeded to keep Minho up for the entire night, and as a result, his roommate as well.

\----------

“Minho, for the love of god, stop pacing!” Thomas groaned.

“I can’t!” Minho protested.

“I’m trying to get some sleep! Trying, and _failing_. Just like I’ll fail tomorrow’s test if you don’t. Stop. Pacing.” Thomas gritted out.

“He called me!”

At that, Thomas paused. “He _called_ you? Like, _called_ you? You heard his voice?”

“Yes!” Minho had no patience to explain to his klunk of a roommate that because he had bumped into Newt when they accidentally swapped phones, he had already heard his voice before.

“What did he say?”

“Something happened, something serious. And out of all the people he could’ve called, he called me.”

“Yeah, I got that, you lovesick shank, but what did he _say_?” Thomas repeated impatiently, rolling his eyes.

“He said that! Exactly that,” Minho moaned, clutching his head, still attempting to figure out what Newt meant by that. “He said he could’ve called anyone, but, and I quote, ‘I called you.’”

Thomas gave a low whistle. “Wow. You’ve got it bad for that boy.”

“What?”

“You’re in too deep, my friend. I hope he’s as into you, as you are into him. Who knows, maybe when he gets back, you’ll be into him, and by into him, I mean—”

“Shut up.” Minho shot back at him.

He tried not to think about how if he had said it to Newt, he would have heard an eager reply, “make me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finished this at 2a.m. and guess who has class in 9 hours staying up this late is never wise kids. yup I finished it early so you guys don't have a cliffhanger for two weeks or something. ok so i have to tell you that i am lucky enough that I've never had anyone close to me (or a relative) pass away, so i wasn't entirely sure how to write it. I know someone who has though, and she compartmentalised (NOT got over it) pretty quickly, so that's why Newt can still make a joke or two, but he's still sad. He isn't thinking too clearly either, so that's why that tiny thing slipped out. there's no way he would've said that otherwise. yup I'm gonna go sleep I hope you've enjoyed it, and thank you so much for the wonderful comments and kudos for the last chapter!! if you could do the same for this one i'd really appreciate it, thank you so much!


	6. Chapter 6

Newt woke up brightly and early, reaching for his phone. It had become part of his daily routine. It was his first instinct to text Minho that he was awake.

Minho. The call. Grandma.

It was then that the news hit him with the force of a hurricane, and he settled back into bed to spend an hour staring at the ceiling. He slid his phone back onto his bedside table, not really in the mood to do anything in particular that day.

It was the only day Minho texted first.

\----------

From: Minho

morning dude

\----------

From: Minho

how are you feeling

\----------

From: Minho

need to talk?

\----------

As that message popped up on his screen, Newt remembered. Oh klunk in a pot.

Did he really say all that? Was there a possibility that it had all been some wild dream? He shoved that idea aside, realising that it was far too vivid and fresh in his mind for it to have been part of his imagination.

He snatched his phone off the table, frantically pushing buttons on his phone to type a reply.

\----------

From: Newt

Fuck.

\----------

From: Minho

with pleasure but why

\----------

From: Newt

Did I actually call you yesterday?

\----------

From: Minho

uh yes???

\----------

From: Newt

Did I say what I think I said??

\----------

From: Minho

which part dear you’ll have to be a bit more specific you said a lot of things

\----------

From: Newt

Okay, I did not mean to say that thing.

\----------

From: Minho

which thing?

\----------

From: Newt

THAT’S ONE QUESTION MARK. YOU KNOW WHICH THING, DON’T MAKE ME SAY IT.

\----------

From: Minho

shhh babe it’s ok i’ll just take it that you called me because i’m your best friend in the whole wide world

\----------

From: Newt

You can’t be my best friend, I’ve known you for a week.

\----------

From: Minho

well then do you want me to bring up the alternative

\----------

From: Newt

You’re such a great best friend.

\----------

From: Minho

aren’t i just. now i know you haven’t had breakfast yet shuck-face go eat something

\----------

From: Newt

How could you tell???

\----------

From: Minho

oh please don’t even try

\----------

Newt put down his phone, and headed downstairs with a ghost of a smile on his face. The minute he exited his room, however, the entire atmosphere changed. Everything in the house seemed a tad darker.

Upon entering the kitchen, he realised that his parents and sister didn’t have a Minho to make them feel better. Not everyone was as fortunate as he was.

“Morning, Newt,” his mother greeted him from the dining table.

Her eyes were red and puffy, and Newt knew that she’d stayed up all night pouring her eyes out. His sister, on the other hand, while still in mourning, was somehow incapable of crying. At that moment, she was standing at the stove, making breakfast for the entire family. One had to wonder if that tiny thirteen year-old was the most mature member of the family.

“Newt, d’ya think you’ll be going back to school soon?” His sister chimed, while flipping an omelette.

Newt shook his head. As the eldest child in the family, it was his duty to stay and help his parents get through tough times. There were too many things he had to do here, and who knew how long that would take.

His mother, however, had other ideas.

“Yes, he will,” his mother insisted firmly. “I know you have exams soon, and we can manage just fine here, so you’ll go as soon as—”

As soon as the wake was over.

Newt knew it was difficult for her to say, and to avoid upsetting her, he nodded, before heading upstairs to shoot a text to Minho.

\----------

From: Newt

Hey, I’m coming back in a few days.

\----------

There was an unsaid message that he knew Minho would pick up, one he did not want to think about: once Newt got back to school, they no longer had any reason to hold on to each other’s phones. They had no reason to keep texting each other.

\----------

When Newt returned to school a few days later, his texts to Minho never ceased. They merely switched to talking about schoolwork and lectures, never faltering.

\----------

From: Newt

I’m so behind on work. Send help.

\----------

From: Minho

need help? what courses are you taking

\----------

From: Newt

Lit and History

\----------

From: Minho

oh dude sorry man i’m a math person can’t help you there

\----------

From: Newt

I did not have you pegged as a Maths person.

\----------

From: Minho

why? is it my sparkling personality

\----------

From: Newt

You just don’t seem very… Maths-y.

\----------

From: Minho

the fuck is mathsy

\----------

From: Newt

Never mind. I take it back. You’re very Maths-y.

\----------

From: Minho

what makes me mathsy huh

\----------

From: Newt

You take Maths.

\----------

From: Minho

ok smart aleck you get off easy this time. do you still need help though because i know a ton of people

\----------

From: Newt

Nah, this guy called Aris is helping me to catch up on homework. He’s pretty cool.

\----------

From: Minho

no way i actually know that aris hey tell him thomas and i say hi

\----------

From: Newt

Thomas?

\----------

From: Minho

my roommate. and don’t even try to replace me with this shank no matter how hot or nice he is ok

\----------

From: Newt

I’m pretty sure you’re irreplaceable. Plus, isn’t he straight?

\----------

From: Minho

aris? pls he’s as straight as a y=x2 graph

\----------

From: Newt

Not a Maths person, remember?

\----------

From: Minho

dude he’s as straight as i am

\----------

From: Newt

Which is?

\----------

From: Minho

queer as a three dollar bill

\----------

From: Newt

Looks like we have something in common besides our love for Disney Channel Original Movies made in 2006.

\----------

“Minho?”

“Yeah?” Minho asked, glancing up from his phone, only to see Thomas staring at him oddly.

“You were… uh… making tiny squeaky noises at your phone,” his roommate answered, pressing his lips together and trying his best not to laugh, before failing completely.

“Shut up, shuck-face, I don’t _squeal_ ,” Minho spluttered.

“Oh please. You know it, I know it. Whenever that boy texts you, you get this look on your face. You like him! Don’t try to hide it, I’m a love expert,” Thomas proclaimed loudly, hand clutching the left side of his chest.

“Says the single boy sitting in our room on a Friday night,” Minho muttered under his breath.

“What was that?” Thomas called out from his side of the room.

“You’re a pile of klunk,” Minho responded, before turning back to his work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thanks so much for your patience and likes and comments!! I think I'm close to done with the fic, actually. Also I kind of brought in Aris for a couple of lines because I saw someone on tumblr who said that whenever aris is brought into a fic he's a dick which is incredibly ooc and not fair to this adorable poc character so uh yeah here he is. one tiny mention (maybe i can make that something more)  
> but shoutout to oceanx for posting amazing comments (like really fantastic comments i feel rly happy when i read them thank you)  
> and thank you everyone for commenting and liking this thing and please continue to do so!!! Thank you so much!


	7. Chapter 7

Minho spent another week happily texting Newt, complaining about classes and homework, before Thomas decided enough was enough.

Walking over to Minho’s bed, which said boy was lounging on, he let out a sigh.

“What?” Minho asked, raising an eyebrow.

Flopping onto his bed, being careful not to land on Minho’s legs lest he get punched in the arm again, Thomas groaned, “for crying out loud, Minho, haven’t you told this boy you like him yet?”

Unfortunately for Thomas, a question of that sort was bound to get him punched in the arm.

“Ouch! Okay, okay, fine. I’m not letting this go,” he sang, as he leapt off the bed to avoid any other possible form of bodily harm. “He obviously likes you too.”

At those words, Minho’s head jerked up, eyes widening comically, unable to contain himself. “How’d you know?”

His roommate burst out laughing, “you look like you’re a Labrador Retriever and I’m offering you a treat! Slim it, Minho.”

“I hate you.”

“Oh come on, even _I_ know he likes you and I’ve never met the shank,” Thomas responded.

“Just like how you claimed to ‘know differentiation’ right before you failed that test?” Minho smirked.

“I’ll have you know, I’m very good at these things.” Thomas insisted.

“Thomas, the last two girls you thought liked you ended up dating each other,” Minho snorted.

“Fine,” he grumbled. “Be that way. You don’t get an invitation to Rachel and Aris’ party, then.”

“Those two? What’s the occasion?”

“Dunno. There’s beer, I think.”

Aris. The boy who’d been helping Newt with Literature. If Thomas and Minho had been invited, then maybe, just maybe, there was a _slim_ possibility of…

“Count me in.”

\----------

“Minho, hurry up! We’re going to be late!”

“Coming!”

“Stop gelling your fucking hair!”

\----------

Okay, sue him, but Minho wanted to look his best in case Newt showed. He hadn’t wanted to ask Thomas, because he knew that he would be teased for the remainder of the night (and the rest of his life) if he asked. He also hadn’t dared to ask Newt, for fear that he hadn’t been invited. For all he knew, Newt was sitting in his dorm, reading a book while Minho was on his way there.

When he and Thomas had finally started walking towards the party after a massive delay, which Minho refused to admit was his fault, his mind wandered to Newt, for the billionth time that week.

“—ey dude! Are you even paying attention to me?”

Minho blinked twice, realising that he was far too focused on the blond-haired boy and blushing fiercely.

“I said, you need to give me your boyfriend’s phone’s number in case I need to call you later!” Thomas shouted into his ear, waving a hand in front of his face furiously.

“What? Why?” Minho asked, startled.

Thomas groaned, before explaining that he was planning to “get some” and he didn’t want to be interrupted, so should he, or, as he so insisted, _when_ he did in fact find someone to get with, he wanted to be able to tell Minho not to wait for him.

“Yeah, whatever,” Minho replied, only half-listening as he read out the number he had come to know by heart, simply because he had stared at the number of Newt’s phone, committing it to memory.

Just in case.

\----------

From: Unknown Number

can’t believe i hadn’t gotten ur phone number before dude we’re like roommates and we’ve been texting thru ur boyfriend

\----------

From: Unknown Number

it’s thomas in case u were wondering

\----------

From: Minho

Yeah yeah, got it.

\----------

From: Thomas

ur fabulous roommate

\----------

From: Minho

Shoo, vile creature.

\----------

Texting while walking alongside each other might have been weird if Minho and Thomas hadn’t been the ones doing it.

The latter stared at his texts, furrowing his eyebrows, deep in concentration. “Your texts look different.”

“Huh?” Minho asked quizzically.

“They’re in proper English.”

Minho glanced at his phone in shock, realising that he had adopted the text style of the Lit major he was fond of texting every minute of every day. Thomas seemed to have come to the same conclusion.

“It looks like when your boyfriend is conveying your message to me! Oh my god, that’s adorable.”

“He’s not my boyfriend!” Minho protested.

Fortunately for him, they had reached the party, and were quickly yanked to opposite sides of the room by different friends, ending the conversation. Minho was surprised to discover that the person who had saved him was the boy who was half of the organising team. The same boy that had been helping Newt for the past two weeks.

Aris slung an arm around Minho, grinning eagerly. “Minho! I haven’t seen you in ages!”

“Hey, you’ve been teaching Newt, right?” Minho blurted out.

Aris chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “He won’t stop talking about you too, man.”

“He talks about me?” Minho asked incredulously.

A buzz coming from his pocket alerted him to a text, and Aris quickly left to talk to his better half.

\----------

From: Thomas

told u dude

\----------

Minho looked up in surprise, only to find Thomas smirking from the other side of the room. He immediately responded with a text, making sure that he wasn’t using proper English.

\----------

From: Minho

how long did you have to hold that look on your face before i looked up?

\----------

From: Thomas

im not letting this drop u know

\----------

From: Thomas

he’s going to be here tonight

\----------

Minho heart started racing, and he quickly scanned the room, before his eyes dropped back to his phone. He jammed on the keyboard furiously.

\----------

From: Minho

you didn’t tell me he’d be here!!!!

\----------

From: Thomas

and u were dying to ask weren’t u i could see it on ur face

\----------

Minho huffed, looking up in Thomas’ direction, before noticing that Thomas was waggling his eyebrows at him.

A finger tapped on his shoulder, and he whirled around to see who it was, scarcely daring to believe it.

There stood Newt, with a grin on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! It's nearing the end, I think and I'm so sorry I know I said I would try not to go off but once again the party wasn't really part of the plan. I mean whatever is going to happen there is, but the party setting definitely was not and for that I apologise. I haven't ever been to one of these things either so uh interactions and stuff are purely based off of other works of fiction. and lots of american tv shows.  
> so once again shout-out to the lovely oceanx who's amazing comments never fail to brighten my day and thank you so much for the reviews and the kudos and thank you to that one person who said they were translating this fic into korean! I don't speak that wonderful language, unfortunately, but I look forward to reading it regardless!  
> please comment or like this fic if you want to and thank you so much for reading it!!


	8. Chapter 8

Minho, the brilliant shank that he was, stood speechless, staring at the blond-haired beauty in front of his very eyes.  
  
"Hey, High School Musical Boy," Newt smirked. "Fancy seeing ya here."  
  
There it was. The voice that sounded like pure unbridled joy, that he had heard only twice before. He had dreamed of this moment, imagining various scenarios and how he would sweep Newt off his feet with witty pick-up lines. He hadn't realised that he would be so entranced by the boy of his dreams that he wouldn't be able to say a thing.  
  
"Minho?" Newt asked, raising an eyebrow and waving a hand in front of Minho's face.  
  
Blinking twice, Minho came back to reality.  
  
"Newt." He marvelled at the boy standing not two feet away from him.  
  
Said boy chuckled, before responding, "that's me."  
  
"You're here," Minho stated the fact, as if Newt were some form of royalty that he had only ever seen on television. With that blond hair as golden as a crown, he might as well have been.  
  
"Yeah?" Newt replied questioningly, tilting his head in a way Minho found absolutely adorable.  
  
He didn't know where to start. "I'm in love with you" seemed like a pretty abrupt way to begin a conversation.  
  
He settled for, "How's Lit class going?"  
  
Newt seemed surprised by the sudden change in conversation, but immediately answered with, "fantastic. We're studying different texts throughout the 16th to 20th Century!" Newt's eyes shone with excitement as he delved deeper into the various plays written by Shakespeare.  
  
Minho grinned and followed Newt's ramblings without difficulty. Literature had never come easily to him, but with Newt explaining, he felt the immediate urge to pick up a book and read.  
  
He interjected every now and then with unexpected questions, such as "Why is this lady marrying a guy old enough to be her dad?" and "So Jane Eyre is really fanfiction?"  
  
They had been talking for a couple of hours before Minho finally remembered why they were there in the first place. His phone suddenly felt a lot heavier in his pocket, and he was reluctant to take it out. Exchanging phones meant that Newt didn't really have any reason to keep in touch with him. It meant that Newt could easily forget about him and soon enough, they would be strangers again.  
  
He slowly reached for it, noticing that Newt's eyes were following his hand. Too late to back out.  
  
"I guess, uh, this belongs to you?" He made an attempt to smile, holding out his phone.  
  
_No_ , he corrected himself. Not his phone. _Newt's_ phone. When had he started calling it _his_?  
  
Newt was stunned, but he took it regardless, reaching into his bag for Minho's phone.  
  
"And this belongs to you."  
  
His fingertips brushed Newt's hand as he grabbed his phone, and Minho's heart felt heavy once again.  
  
What if Newt didn't want to talk to him after this? He had no reason to any more.

"Hey, you okay?" Newt asked, concerned.

The party mood was somewhat ruined for Minho, and, unable to bear being in the company of the boy he liked but who probably didn't feel the same way, he stammered out a pathetic excuse, "I've, got to go, uh, I think my roommate's calling me."  
  
He turned away to tell Thomas that he was leaving, determined not to let Newt see him upset. He turned away too quickly to see the look of hurt and confusion written all over Newt's face.  
  
\----------  
  
Newt hoped the happiness he felt at seeing Minho didn't show when he turned to face him. He had been extremely eager to meet him in person for the second time, and the moment Aris mentioned that he would be there, he immediately accepted his invitation to the party.  
  
The delight at seeing his crush in person disappeared completely when Minho returned the phone. Did he not want to keep in touch? _That must be it_ , Newt thought glumly. He didn't even want to stay to talk at all. He just came to return the phone.  
  
"Hey, Newt! Why so down in the dumps?" Aris asked, returning from what appeared to be a strange attempt at a conga line. "Haven't you met Minho yet?"  
  
"Aris, do ya know why people you fancy are called crushes? Because _they crush your soul_." Newt moaned, disappointment clearly showing.  
  
Aris frowned, opening his mouth to speak. Before he could get two words in, the conga line whisked him away, leaving Newt alone to ponder exactly what he had done wrong.  
  
Which was exactly when his phone buzzed, which could only mean one thing. _Minho_.  
  
Scrambling for his phone, he shakily slid his thumb across the screen to read the message.  
  
Instead of the "From: Newt" that he expected, since they had changed their phones, the text was from another unexpected source.  
  
\----------  
  
From: Thomas  
  
have u asked him out yet minho u pathetic fishball come on if he's texting u at  3am it's true love i know ur in love with him doofus  
  
\----------  
  
Minho was in love with him. Minho was in love with him?  _Minho was in love with him._  
  
Newt's heart pounded as he scanned the room for the boy of his dreams. Where was he? He had to tell him.  
  
"Aris!" He called out, looking for the only other familiar face at the party. "Have you seen Minho?"  
  
A boy with brown hair answered his question instead, "He told me he was going back to his dorm room. He just left!"  
  
Newt yelled his thanks, before bolting out of the room.  
  
\----------  
  
Newt spent his entire life walking. His parents said that when he was young, he refused to run, no matter how hard they tried to persuade him. Walking was far more his speed, especially with his limp. But when the boy he was in love with was walking out of his life, he ran. He ran to catch up with him. So, when he was running at night, in the dark, with the only dim lighting coming from the party right behind him, it was only natural that he crashed into someone on his way to the dorms. Said person proceeded to fall face first, with Newt landing right on top of him.

"Hey, get off of me!" A familiar voice shouted.  
  
"Minho?" Newt uttered in surprise, before scrambling to his feet.  
  
"Newt? What are you doing?" Minho asked, leaping to his feet.  
  
His brain had somehow ceased to function properly, and, unable to explain fully, he whispered, slightly dazed, "you're in love with me."  
  
Minho's eyes widened, and he started stammering, "Uh, well, no, yes, um, well, you see, uh..."  
  
Newt stayed silent, staring at Minho nervously, and Minho took it upon himself to make up for Newt's sudden lack of ability to talk.  
  
"Well, uh, if I was, hypothetically, would you, hypothetically, be the Troy to my Gabriella?" He asked, words spilling out of his mouth before he could stop himself.  
  
Newt had so many things he wanted to say, but the only words that came out was the one thing he hadn't planned to say.  
  
"Why are you Gabriella?" He asked softly, still amazed and only half-believing that his feelings were reciprocated.  
  
Minho grinned. "I have great hair."  
  
At this, Newt realised just how in love with this boy he was.  
  
"Minho?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
Newt grabbed his shirt, yanking him forward. They were close, lips almost touching. It was dark, but Newt didn't need light to know that Minho's pupils were dilated, and he could hear every shaky breath that Minho took.  
  
"Shut up."  
  
The words of their text conversations were finally coming to life, and Minho knew the answer like the back of his hand.  
  
"Make me."  
  
Minho leaned forward ever so slightly, closing the distance between them, his lips meeting Newt's. The blond-haired boy tasted like strawberries. He could feel Newt's lips stretch into a grin, pressed against his own.  
  
Their bodies were pressed together, like pieces of a perfect puzzle, with Minho's hands on Newt's waist, and Newt's hands on his shoulders.  
  
When they reluctantly broke apart to get a breath of air, all Minho could think about was, _how does a teenage boy at a party taste like strawberries?_  
  
He had kissed other people before, guys, girls, non-binary. Never in his life had he felt so _exhilarated_ after a kiss.  
  
"Finally!"  
  
The voice alerted Minho to the fact that they were not alone. He dragged his eyes away from what little he could see of Newt's blushing face, and glanced in the direction of the voice.  
  
Thomas, Aris and several other people at the party were leaning out of the window, whistling and cheering loudly.

Ignoring his ridiculous roommate, Minho turned to Newt, whose smile seemed to make the night a thousand times brighter.  
  
"Might as well give them something to look at," Newt suggested with a mischievous grin, before leaning in to close the distance between them once more.

Minho agreed, deciding to bring up a middle finger in their direction.

  
\----------  
  
From: Aris  
  
do you think they know we planned this entire party so they could get together?  
  
\----------  
  
From: Thomas  
  
no way dude they'll never find out  
  
\----------  
  
Despite having returned each others' phones, Minho and Newt continued to text back and forth, and were rarely without their phones. The only change was that they often met in person, to do the one thing they couldn't do over the phone.

\----------

From: Newt  
  
hey babe i think we accidentally swapped phones earlier again -ur fav  
  
\----------  
  
From: Minho  
  
No, Minho, we swapped our jackets which had our phones in them.  
  
\----------  
  
From: Newt  
  
we were in a rush ok i told u we weren't supposed to make out in the classrooms -ur one and only  
  
\----------  
  
From: Minho  
  
It was your idea!!!  
  
\----------

From: Newt  
  
shut up  
  
\----------

From: Minho  
  
Make me.  
  
\----------  
  
From: Newt

OK HOLD IT RIGHT THERE DON'T MOVE I'M COMING OVER  
  
\----------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand it's finally over! Thank you so much for reading the whole thing, and I'd like to thank everyone for clicking the kudos and comment buttons! It's been an adventure, and I hope you enjoyed the ending! Please do continue to like and comment! If any of you have prompts or anything that you want written, feel free to use the comments section, anonymous or not, and I'll give it my best shot! Thank you everyone!
> 
> Shoutout to oceanx and all the people who have constantly commented on the multiple chapters! Thank you all so much!
> 
> UPDATE: ok i revisited this fic bc i wasn't rly happy with the last bits being too cheesy and i changed it a bit (also shoutout to the wonderful people on twitter who put this fic on their fic recs, i saw em!! esp the person who said this was their first minewt fic that was so nice ilu)


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